Latching mechanism

ABSTRACT

A latching mechanism having two pivotally mounted and interacting members. This mechanism provides for automatic locking when moved to the latched position with provisions for unlocking when unlatching is desired. The latching mechanism is particularly adaptable for use in latching shipping containers to the bed of transporting vehicles.

United States Patent References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,424,429 7/1947 Bamberg 248/36] X 3,262,664 7/1966 Paraskewik 248/361 X 3,399,921 9/l968 Trost et al 248/361 X Primary Examiner Paul R. Gilliam Attorneysl(enneth C. Witt, John C. Wiessler, Robert H.

Johnson and Reginald J. Falkowski ABSTRACT: A latching mechanism having two pivotally mounted and interacting members. This mechanism provides for automatic locking when moved to the latched position with provisions for unlocking when unlatching is desired. The latching mechanism is particularly adaptable for use in latching shipping containers to the bed of transporting vehicles.

PATENTEU M821 I97! 3,628,222

SHEET 1 BF 2 INVENTOR RICHARD L. PALEN fwd/2% a z/Jzf ATTORNEY PATENTEU IJECZI IHYI SHEET 2 BF 2 ATTORNEY LA'ICIIIING MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a latching mechanism for use in latching shipping containers to conveyances such as semitrailer chassis which are adapted to be pulled over the highway or to railroad cars, but it is adaptable for other purposes as well. On vehicles which are constructed to accept and transport shipping containers it is desirable to have a latching mechanism which may engage typical container comer fittings and which automatically latches and locks freight containers when they are placed upon the vehicles.

A latching mechanism of similar type to the one herein disclosed is disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,921. The present invention includes only two pivotal members which interact so as to latch and lock automatically when the first member is moved from its unlatched to its latched position. The present invention provides a third position for the second member and a retaining means to hold the second member in the third position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In carrying out my invention in one preferred form thereof, 1 provide two latch members which are pivotally mounted. One of these members is movable between an unlatched position and a latched position in which it secures the container to the bed of the vehicle. The second member is movable between three positions. The second member is held in its first position by the first member when in its unlatched position and the first member is held in its latched position by the second member when in its second position. The second member has a third position to which it is manually movable. In this third position the second member is engaged by the first member during unlatching at which time the second member is moved from its third to its first position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I shows a latching mechanism in accordance with this invention in the latched and locked position, with a housing portion shown in section.

FIG. 2 shows the initial preparation for unlatching.

FIG. 3 shows the mechanism partially unlatched.

FIG. 4 shows the latching mechanism in its unlatched position.

FIG. 5 shows a typical location of the latching mechanism in a housing on a vehicle bed viewed from the side.

FIG. 6 shows the latching mechanism and housing in combination with a freight container. The latching mechanism is shown in the latched and locked position.

FIG. 7 shows an end view of the latching mechanism and housing affixed to the vehicle bed.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawing the latching mechanism comprises a first latch member indicated generally by the numeral 10, a second member by the numeral I2, a retaining means by the numeral 14, a connecting spring by the numeral I6, and an actuating handle by the numeral I8.

The mechanism is shown contained within a housing indicated generally by the numeral 20. In FIGS. I through I the front side of the housing 20 is shown removed to expose the mechanism. The housing is capable of sustaining lateral forces and acts as a guide when the mechanism is accepting a container to be latched. An opening is provided in the housing at 22 which allows the latching portion of the latch member I to protrude.

The first latch member 10 is pivotally mounted to the housing at 24 while the second member is pivotally mounted at 26. The connecting spring I6 is affixed to latch member 110 at 28 and to latch member I2 at 30. The actuating handle 18 is interconnected to the second pivotal member I2 through 26.

FIG. 5 shows the side view of the bed of a vehicle with the housing 20 attached. The bed of the vehicle includes, in this illustration, structural members such as longitudinal I-beam member 29, and transverse members 31 and 32. The bed also includes container support surfaces 34 above which the housing 20 and latching member III extend.

The first latch member It) includes the surfaces I00 and ItIb as illustrated in FIG. I. When the container is placed in the proper position on the bed of the vehicle the latch member I0 is pivoted by the weight of the container acting upon surface Iflb to its latched position illustrated by FIG. 6 whereat the surface Itlla retains the container and latches it to the bed of the vehicle. As illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawing, the container is indicated generally by the numeral 36. It includes various structural portions including a bottom member 38 having a corner fitting 40 thereon to admit the housing 20 and a reentrant portion 42 which engages surface IIIb during latching and is engaged by surface Illa while in the latched position.

When the container is lowered onto the bed of the vehicle the portion I2 engages the surface Illb. As lowering is completed, the latch member III is moved to the position illustrated by FIG. 6 and FIG. I and the container is latched to the bed of the vehicle.

In the position illustrated by FIG. I the latching member 10 is locked by the second member I2 in the position shown due to the mating of arcuate surfaces We and I20.

When it is desired to unlatch the mechanism to permit the removal of container 36 from the vehicle the second pivotal member I2 is moved counterclockwise from the position shown in FIG. I to the position shown in FIG. 2. This may be accomplished by grasping the actuating handle 18 and moving it from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2. In the position illustrated by FIG. 2 the second member 12 is held in the position by the retaining means 14 which, as illustrated, comprises a detent device.

As the container is removed from the vehicle the latching member I0 is moved counterclockwise to the position shown in FIG. 3 whereat the latching member I0 engages the member 12 at the location indicated by the numeral I3 and urges it in a clockwise direction.

As unlatching continues the second member 12 is released from the retaining means It by the force of member III on member 12 and moves clockwise to the position shown in FIG. I. The latching member I0 then moves to the position shown in FIG. I at which point the container is completely unlatched from the bed of the vehicle.

As illustrated in FIG. 7 the actuating handle 18 is affixed to the pivotal rod II at the location generally indicated by the numeral 46. The pivotal rod 44 is interconnected to the member I2 at 48. Pivotal rod 44 provides a means for connecting the latch mechanism shown to another similar latch mechanism on the opposite side of the vehicle bed which is allochirally related to this mechanism.

While the two pivotal members It) and 12 have been described herein as operated by gravity and by manual operation in the case of latch member I2, it will be understood that a spring as indicated by the numeral I6 can be provided to assist in the operation of these members. To illustrate this we have shown schematically on the drawings the spring 16 connected to the member III at 28 and to the member I2 at 30.

While I have described and illustrated herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be appreciated that modifications may be made therein. Therefore, it should be understood that I intend to cover by the appended claims all such modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

I. A latching mechanism comprising a pivotally mounted first member pivotal to an unlatched position and to a latched position, said first member having a first arcuate surface thereon; a pivotally mounted second member pivotal to a first position, a second position, and a third position, said first position being angularly intermediate said second and third positions and said second member having a second arcuate surface thereon; said first member engaging a portion of said second arcuate surface when said first member is in said unlatched position and said second member is in said first position so that said second member may not pivot between said first and second positions, said second member engaging a portion of said first arcuate surface when said first member is in said latched position and said second member is in said second position so that said first member may not pivot between said latched and unlatched positions, and said first member engaging said second arcuate surface when said second member is in said third position and said first member is pivoted toward said unlatched position so that said second member is urged to toward said unlatched position.

3. A latching mechanism as specified in claim 1 in which a spring connects the said first member with the said second member, said spring being so connected as to urge said first member toward its unlatched position and said second member toward its second position.

t l 1.! i I 

1. A latching mechanism comprising a pivotally mounted first member pivotal to an unlatched position and to a latched position, said first member having a first arcuate surface thereon; a pivotally mounted second member pivotal to a first position, a second position, and a third position, said first position being angularly intermediate said second and third positions and said second member having a second arcuate surface thereon; said first member engaging a portion of said second arcuate surface when said first member is in said unlatched position and said second member is in said first position so that said second member may not pivot between said first and second positions, said second member engaging a portion of said first arcuate surface when said first member is in said latched position and said second member is in said second position so that said first member may not pivot between said latched and unlatched positions, and said first member engaging said second arcuate surface when said second member is in said third position and said first member is pivoted toward said unlatched position so that said second member is urged to pivot toward said first position.
 2. A latching mechanism as specified in claim 1 in which a retaining means is provided, said retaining means being located as to hold said second member in its said third position until said second member is engaged by said first member when said first member is pivoted from said latched position toward said unlatched position.
 3. A latching mechanism as specified in claim 1 in which a spring connects the said first member with the said second member, said spring being so connected as to urge said first member toward its unlatched position and said second member toward its second position. 